Improvement in retaining-straps for bending timber



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEVI E. MINOTT, OF SHEBOYGAN, WISCONSIN.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 117,664, dated August1, 1871.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, LEVI E. MINOTT, of Sheboygan, in the county ofSheboygan and State of Wisconsin, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Retaining-Strap for Bending Timber; and I do declare thatthe following is a true and accurate description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of referencemarked thereon, and being a part of this specification, in which- Figure1 is a plan view of a metal strip as formed previous to bending it intothe shape shown at Fig. 2, which is a perspective view of a singleplystrap, made in accordance with my invention; and Fig. 3 is a perspectiveview of a double-ply strap, showing the canvas covering partly removed.A

This invention relates to a strap for holding timber or wood in theprocess of bending it around a form, to hold it to the form evenly, andto prevent in great measure the crimping and splintering of the wood;and my invention consists of one or more metal straps, notched along thesides at regular intervals with Vshaped notches, terminating at thecenter of the strip, and occurring alternately upon opposite sides. Thestrip so notched is bent longitudinally along its center at right anglesand forms a flexible metallic strap. Where greater strength is requiredtwo such straps are united by interlacing and the whole covered withstout canvas; all of which will be more fully and explicitly hereinafterset forth. Y

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe the saine with particularity, making use in so doingof the aforesaid drawing.

A is a fiat metal strip, of proper width and of tough material, cut atregular intervals along its sides with V-shaped notches a. This strip isbent longitudinally along its center into the right-angled form shown atFig. 2, and constitutes thus a singleply strap, which for light bendingis sufficiently strong; but, where a great strain is to be endured, Iprefer to employ a double ply, consisting of two such straps interlockedor interlaced, in the manner lshown at Fig. 3. The interlacing should bedone before the strap is bent into the angle form, as this precludes thepossibility of either joining or separating the strips. To facilitatethis interlacing I find it eX- pedient to enlarge the apeXes of theV-shaped notches into apertures c, which may be conveniently formed witha common punch. For the purpose of further increasing the strength, andalso to present an unbroken surface to the wood, I apply a stout canvascovering, D, secured to the metal strap by stitching the back and frontpart of the canvas together at the edges, and by also stitching ittogether down the middle through the hole c.

The strap so made is applied to the piece of wood to be bent in thecustomary manner, being, however, particuliarly adapted to bendingsticks diamond-wise,7 as it is termed. The strap is placed upon theoutside of the stick or piece of timber when being formed and preventssplintering or crimping most effectually.

It is not desirable that the strain of the work should come upon thestrap if it can be avoided, and I therefore usually employ an auxiliarystrap of stout doubled canvas, which is placed loosely around theoutside of the strap while, and during the process of, bendin g. Thisauxiliary strap takes all the strain upon itself, or as much thereof asis necessary to relieve the principal strap, while the principal strapgives the desired rigidity and form and prevents the crimping andsplintering above mentioned.

Having described "the construction and operation of my invention, what Iclaim and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

1. The strap A for bending wood, notched substantially in the mannerdescribed, and bent longitudinally at right angles.

2. The combination of two interlaced straps, A, with the canvas coveringD, substantially as specified.

L. E. MINOTT.

Witnesses:

J. W. MUNDAY, F. B. MUNDAY.

